Transnet issued a request for qualifications for the Ngqura manganese export corridor, which connects Northern Cape mines to Eastern Cape ports. The private partner will help finance, build and operate the infrastructure while also rehabilitating the rail network supporting the route.
The project will consolidate manganese exports at the Port of Ngqura, replacing a fragmented system that currently relies on multiple handling points and significant road transportation, Bloomberg reported.
Transnet says the existing setup has increased logistics costs and contributed to road congestion, dust and other environmental and social pressures around Nelson Mandela Bay.
The proposed corridor is expected to handle about 12 million tonnes of manganese a year initially, with capacity potentially rising to 16 million tonnes depending on market demand and further investment.
Manganese is critical to South Africa’s mining industry
South Africa is the world’s largest producer and exporter of manganese and holds about 80% of known global resources, making efficient transport infrastructure critical to maintaining its position in the global market.
The mineral is widely used in steel production and is also increasingly important in battery manufacturing.
The investment forms part of Transnet’s broader push to bring private capital and expertise into South Africa’s struggling freight and logistics network.
The company has been taking several major infrastructure projects to the private sector as it seeks to improve the performance of the country’s ports and railways. The Ngqura manganese corridor is among its largest planned private-sector participation projects.